Ophthalmic mounting.



H. K. PARSONS.

OPHTHALMIC MOUNTING.

APPLICATION nuzvuov. so. 1911.

1,297,232. Patented Mill; 11,1919.

INVENTOR HAROLD K. PARsoNs WWW A TTOR/VE Y6 'HAROLD K. PARSONS, 0F SOUTHBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS. 7

OPHTHALMIC MOUNTING.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Mar, 11 1919,

Application filed November 30, 1917. Serial No. 204,650.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it lmown that I, HAROLD K. PARsoNs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Southbriclge, inlthe county of Worcester and State of Massachusets, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ophthalmic Mountings, of which the following isa specification.

This inventionrelates to improvements in ophthalmic mountings, and has particular reference to a novel andimproved construction of mounting of what is commonly termed the fingerpiecetype, that is to say a mounting having a rigid bridge and pivoted spring actuated levers for retaining the mounting in position on the face, the levers having handles or fingerpieces to facilitate their actuation.

One of the leading objects of the present invention is theprovision of a novel and improved pivot construction for levers of this type whichwill reinforce the parts at their pomt of pivoting to reduce to a minlmum the wear at this point.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of an improved construction, which in addition to reducing the wear at the pivot point, will at all times firmly and securely hold the parts to prevent any lOOSe weaving or .wabbling movement thereof.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of an improved mounting to which the actuating spring may be readily applied and which may be easily fitted with a new spring without the necessity for tak ing apart of the remaining portions of the mounting, as is now ordinarily necessary.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of a novel'and improved construction in wvhich the pivot and lever shall so interlock one with the other as to reduce to a minimum the accessibility of dirt to the bearing to reduce the wear, while the invention further resides in the so connect: ingthe several parts of the mounting that they may be rigidly and substantially pen manently fixed in position and liability of undue wear or breakage necessitating replacement of the guard arms eliminated, and of so constructin the parts cooperating with the spring that o d springs maybe removed and new ones readily replaced without disthat I may make any modifications in the specific details of construction shown and described within the scope of the appended claims withoutdeparting from or exceeding the spirit of my invention.

Figure I represents a front elevation of a mounting embodying my improvement.

Fig. II is a perspective view of my improved fingerpiece mounting.

Fig. III representsa sectional view taken. as on the line III-III' of Fig. I.

Fig. IV represents a view similar to Fig. III but illustrating the application of a new spring to my mountings Fig. V represents one of the initial steps in the formation of my improved lever.

Fig. VI represents a view of a subsequent Fig. VII represents a sectional view of the lever in its completed form as respects the pivot bearing portion thereof.

Fig. VIII represents a fragmentary plan view of the pivot portion of the lever.

In the drawings, in which similar characters of reference areemployed to denote corresponding parts throughout the several views, the numeral 1 designates an eyeglass bridge provided with the pivot seat 2 and at the ends thereof with the lens clips or attachments 3 for retaining in position the lenses 4.

Mounted upon the pivot seat 2is my improved construction of fingerpiece or guard levers 5, having at one end the handle portion 6 and at the opposite end the blade or nose engaging member 7. A pivot screw has a central bearing portion 7 passing downward through an aperture in the leverto pivotally secureit in position upon the bridge seat 2, said screw having a shoulder at 8 adapted to contact with the seat and having a portion '9 extending downward to the bridge and preferably headed over at the under end to eliminateany liability of loosening of the screw and securely retain it and thus the lever pivoted thereon in position on the mountin At this point 1 wish to call particular attention to the improved construction of my lever about the pivot. 1n the past it has been customary to simply stamp a hole through the guard arm and then either pass the pivot directly through this hole or insert a washer or the like in the aperture, having a flange which will overlie the upper surface of the lever, thus giving a better bearing in that the lever is held against tilting move ment between the flange of the washer and the seat, but allowing the pivot aperture to wear. In connection with my improved lever, however, as is clearly illustrated in the drawings, I preferably first cup or draw up the lever through the use of suitable dies 10, as illustrated in connection with Fig. V, the center of the cup being then cut out leaving the upstanding tube 11, as illustrated in connection with Fig. V1. This tube 11 may have passed therethrough the guide spindle 12 telescoping xvwith which is the forming tool 13, which shapes the tube 11 to the form illustrated in Fig. VII, from which it will be seen that the portion 11 projects upward from the lever 5 as a heavy reinforcement gradually tapering toward its upper edge, but providing a reinforcing adapted to interlock with the pivot and serving even on a straight pivot to provide an elongated or reinforced portion about the pivot, tending to both eliminate undue wear of the mounting at this point and also by its long surface engaging the pivot to prevent wvabbling movement of the leve In. connection with my improved construction, however, 1 form on the pivot member 7 the frusto-conical spring receiving portion 14, having on its upper end the head 15 preferably with the relatively sharp edge 16, the portion 14: adjacent the head 15 being but slightly larger than the pivot 7' but flaring outwardly in the direction of the lever and being cut back as at 17 to provide a recess just fitting the tube or reinforcement 11 on the lever, the surface of the cut back portion 17 preferably fitting with a sliding fit against the inclined surface of the member 11 to steady said member and absolutely prevent any tilting or wabbling movement of the member or upward movement of the lever .with respect to the bridge and pivot, and at the same time by this fit to exclude entrance of dirt or the like to the wearing parts of the mounting.

It is well known and recognized by the art that one of the difiiculties experienced in connection with fingerpiece mountings is the necessity of replacing the actuating spring 18. Springs of this character may be readily removed since ordinarily when it is desired to remove a spring on account of the fact that the spring is no longer of use,

zuae'aaea it may be unwrapped or pulled off the pivot if desired. The question of replacing the spring, however, is an entirely different matter and ordinarily it is necessary to remove the pivot and slip the spring over the lower end, then to fit the pivot onto the lever and then connect the parts, a series of operations diflicult for the average person to perform, and ether dithcult even for. an experienced operator on account of the number and small size of the several parts employed.

Another attempted method of rendering the replacement of springs easy has been the formation of springs which are of size to pass only the head of the screw and which must subsequent y be further wound or tightened to fit around and properly actuate the lever. This means, however, that the springs cannot be a standard form or con struction, and renders it difficult to make springs lit properly and to have the proper tension.

To obviate this difiiculty, therefore, and render replacement of springs easy and not subject to the conditions as just outlined, I have provided the improved frusto-conical post just described, and in connection with it make use of my improved shape of spring as illustrated in connection with Fig. 1V, from which it will be seen that the lower end of the coil of my spring is of size to slip over or be readily forced over the head of the screw, the lever engaging end of the spring being preferably bent upward to eX- tend axially with the spring and permit of its rotation. In applying the spring, therefore, the first coilis slipped over the head of the screw, substantially as shown in Fig. IV, the edge 16 of the head 15 engaging be tween the coils of the spring, when the spring may be readily screwed down onto the spring receiving portion 14 f the pivot. The of the screw head, spring, coil and lower portion of the flared member 14 are preferably sucn that while the spring will just slip over the edge of the head of the screw when in applied position, t will have a proper fit upon the lower end of the member 1e adjacent the lever, substantially in the manner illustr ted in the seitional view, Fig. 111. 1t will thus be seen that the spring may be made of standard size by winding on a proper mandrel and may be readily slipped over and screwed down over the head of the pivot screw into position without distorting or in anywise changing the form or tension of the spring, when it is merely necessary to bend downward the lever engaging end 18 thereof to have a new spring of proper tension suitably applied to the mounting and properly fitting around the pivot. I would also invite attention to the fact that in this manner 1 am able to obtain a relatively neat and inconspicuous mounting, in that the spring overlies the lower portion of the pivot, which is expanded to receive the tube 11 on the lever so that only a gracefully shaped spring and a support therefor are noticeable when glancing at the mounting and the tube portion is not only concealed but of quite small size, whereby the desired result. as respects reinforcement of the lever against wear and holding against movement along. its axis or wabbling movement about that axis is prevented, without any increase in the P. D. of the mounting to accommodate the parts.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the advantages of my improved construction should be readily apparent, and it will be seen that I have provided a novel and improved form of fingerpiece mounting which will present substantially the appearance of an ordinary mounting, which requires no increase of P. D. or cramping of parts to accommodate my improvement, but in which a much improved bearing for the lever is provided, both reinforcing it against wear, preventing access of dirt to the mount ing through the bearing, and retention against wabbling is attained, and at the same time a mounting to which a new spring may be readily applied when desired, the

several features cooperating in a single, harmonious and desirable construction.

I claim:

1. A fingerpiece lever having an aperture formed therethrough and having an integral pivot reinforcing portion drawn up therefrom and surrounding the aperture, said wall having an upwardly tapering outer face.

2. A fingerpiece lever having an aperture formed therethrough and having an integral pivot reinforcing portion drawn up therefrom and surrounding the aperture, said Wall having an upwardly tapering outer face, and a pivot for the lever having a portion fitting within the aperture and a portion engaging the tapering face for securely holding the lever in pivoted position.

3. In an ophthalmic mounting, the combination with a bridge having a pivot seat, of a lever on the seat, said lever having an upstanding tapered reinforcement, and a pivot for the lever having 2. depending flange interlocking with the tapered reinforcement to retain the lever in position and prevent access of dirt to the pivot proper, substantially as illustrated.

4:. The combination with a support, of a lever on the support having a pivot aperture formed therein and a tapered reinforcement surrounding the pivot aperture, and a pivot having a portion extending through the aperture into the support and a projecting spring centering projection provlded with a depending undercut flange overlying the tapered reinforcement of the lever.

5. In an ophthalmic mounting, the combination with a tapered pivot having a head of substantially thesame diameter as the diameter of the opposite end of the taper, and a spring for application to the pivot of spiral form having its largest coil of size to slip over the head of the pivot and substantially fit the opposite tapered end pre viously referred to, and having its intermediate coils wound of size to substantially fit intermediate portions of the tapered pivot, whereby the spring may be screwed into place by slipping of the largest coil thereof over the head of the pivot and will substantially fit the tapered pivot, as illustrated.

6. In an ophthalmic mounting, the com.v bination with a support, of a lever mounted on the support having an aperture therein surrounded by a tapered reinforcement, and a pivot having a portion extending through the aperture to provide an inner bearing, and a portion engaging the tapered reinforcement to provide an outer bearing for the lever.

7. In a device of the character described, the combination with a frusto-conical shaped pivot having a head of substantially the same diameter as the base of the cone, of a spring frusto-conical in form and of size to fit the pivot when applied thereto.

8. In a device of the character described, the combination with a support, of a lever pivoted thereon having an upstanding tapered reinforcing annulus surrounding the pivot, and a spring engaging projection on the pivot having an undercut recess to receive and slidingly engage the reinforcement of the lever.

9. In a device of the character described, the combination with a support, of a lever pivoted thereon having an upstanding tapered reinforcing annulus surrounding the pivot, and a spring engaging projection on the pivot having an undercut recess to receive and slidingly engage the reinforcement of the lever, said spring receiving projection tapering upwardly and terminating in a head of substantially the diameter of the reinforcement engaging portion, and a spiral wound spring applied to the projection over the head thereof.

10. The combination with a support, of a lever on the support having a pivot aperture formed therein and a reinforcement surrounding the pivot aperture, and a pivot having a portion extending through the aperture into the support and a projecting spring-centering projection provided with a dependent undercut flange overlying the reinforcement of the lever.

11. In a device of the character described, the combination with a support, of a lever pivoted thereon having an upstanding annulus surrounding the pivot, and a spring engaging projection on the pivot having an In testimony whereof I have affixecl my undercut recess to receive and. movably en signature, in presence of tWo Witnesses. gage the annulus of the lever, said spring- QR receiving projection terminating in 21 head H OLD PARSONS of substantially the diameter oi the annulus, /Vitnesses and a spiral Wound spring applied to the H. E. COLEMAN,

pro ect1on over the head thereof. A. S. CANN.

Comes of this natent me be obtained for five cents each, h erlfiressing the Commissioner of were Washington, -13. 

